Door fastening units

ABSTRACT

A door fastening device supplements the function of a door lock and has bolt members that are slid to operative positions by the shooting of the lock bolt. Actuating means of the device are adjustable after the device has been mounted in place to ensure that the lock bolt will operate the bolt members fully. The attachment means of the device are hidden by a separate cover after adjustement of the actuating means and the cover carries a separate striker plate which allows the lock bolt to hold the door closed without undue play but which is displaceable when force is exerted on the door to allow the lock bolt and the bolt members jointly to resist forcible opening of the door.

United States Patent [191 Banham 51 Jan. 29, 1974 DOOR FASTENING UNITS Filed: Aug. 2, 1971 Appl. No.: 168,000

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1950 Larson 292/143 10/1882 Schertzen 292/33 70/121 UX 2,672,745 292/35 UX 2,980,463 4/1961 Russell 70/450 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 173,299 12/1921 Great Britain 292/33 24,280 8/1901 Switzerland 292/33 Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jacobs & Jacobs [57] ABSTRACT A door fastening device supplements the function of a door lock and has bolt members that are slid to operative positions by the shooting of the lock bolt. Actuating means of the device are adjustable after the device has been mounted in place to ensure that the lock bolt will operate the bolt members fully. The attachment means of the device are hidden by a separate cover after adjustement of the actuating means and the cover carries a separate striker plate which allows the lock bolt to hold the door closed without undue play but which is displaceable when force is exerted on the door to allow the lock bolt and the bolt members jointly to resist forcible opening of the door.

12 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures i no my, 30 1-0511101 PATENTED JAN 2 9 I974 SHEEI 3 [IF 3 DOOR FASTENING UNITS This invention relates to door fastening devices for use in conjunction with locks incorporating a bolt that is moved to an extended position to effect locking. Such devices provide bolt members which are moved into the bolting position by shooting of the bolt of the associated lock, thus permitting the bolt members to be applied by a person locking the door from the outside.

In these devices, it is necessary to ensure that a satisfactory extension of the bolt members is obtained although, they can only be operated by a part of the movement of the lock bolt. This problem is connected with the difficulties that can arise in fitting the devices in place, since the position of a device relative to the door lock is critical for ensuring its satisfactory operation. The means of fitting should, moreover, be such as to prevent tampering with the device from either side of the door once the door is locked.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device in which the extent of movement of the bolt members can be regulated by adjustment of the device while it is being fitted in position, in order to accommodate adjustments that may be shown to be necessary after the initial location of the device has been established.

It is another object to allow the device to be fitted while the door is closed to assist the accurate positioning of the mechanism of the device to the door lock bolt. Although in this case it is also desirable to provide protection for the catching means of the device when it has been so fitted, whereby in normal operation once the door is closed there is no means of access to the mechanism of the device.

According to the present invention a door fastening device comprises a casing that houses bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions in the casing to be slidable between a retracted position and a projecting position, and actuating means between the bolt members and adapted for engagement by the bolt of an associated lock, the actuating means being connected to said bolt members in such a manner that displacement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their extended positions.

Advantageously the actuating means are adjustable relative to the casing whereby to allow regulation of the position of said actuating means in the direction of sliding movement of the bolt members.

The actuating means may comprise two levers extending towards opposite end regions of the casing, each lever being pivotally mounted, intermediate its length, within the casing and the levers being connected to respective bolt members at said end regions. Said adjustment of the actuating means may then conveniently be arranged to be carried out by variation of the pivot positions of the levers.

By way of example only an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a door fastening device according to the invention for use with a door rim lock;

FIG. 2 is a front view in the direction of arrow A of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a cover for the device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the cover of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cover of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a side view of an attachment for the cover of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the attachment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section on the line VIII VIII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a side view of part of the mechanism of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the mechanism of FIG. 9,

and

FIGS. 11a and 11b are perspective views illustrating, respectively, the device and its cover in position on a door frame, and the co-operating means on the door.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises an elongate, open-fronted casing 2 including a bottom plate 4 and a top plate 6. Each plate 4, 6 has, adjacent each end thereof, first and second horizontal slots 8, l0, and each plate also has a pair of arcuate slots 12, 14 disposed inwardly of said end slots. In addition the top plate 6 contains a central recess or aperture 16 opening into its front edge. Front flanges 18, 20, integral with and one at each end of the side plate 4 are bent over to extend across each end of the open front of the casing 2, each flange containing a rectangular slot 22.

Mounted on the casing 2 are two levers 24, 26 each having an elongate hole 28 formed adjacent the outer end thereof and each carrying, at the inner end thereof, a striker portion comprising a laterally-extending, flat element 30 projecting through the aperture 16. In each lever, between the hole 28 and the element 30 is an aperture 32 providing a pivot for the lever.

Connected to the outer ends of the levers 24, 26 are bolt members 34, 36 for which purpose slots 38 in the rear ends of the bolt members receive the ends of the levers, and connecting pins 40, 42 pass through the bolt members and the holes 28 in the levers as shown in FIG. 10. The pins 40, 42 extend from both sides of the members 34, 36 to seat in the horizontal slots 8, 10 in the plates 4, 6 which thus act as guides for the rectilinear sliding movement of the bolt members.

Using the apertures 32, the levers are themselves mounted in the casing by means of tubular pins 44 that sit in the arcuate slots 12, 14 in the plates 4, 6. The pins are slidable along the arcuate slots and can be secured at any required position in these slots as will be described in more detail below.

In the inoperative position of the device, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bolt members 34, 36 are urged into a retracted position by respective compression coil springs 46 co-acting between the inner faces of the flanges 18, 20 and extensions 48 formed on the rear of the bolt members themselves. In this condition, as is shown in FIG. 1, the pivot pins 40, 42 are located at the rear ends of the slots 8, 10 while the forward ends of the bolt members extend through the slots 22 to the front of the device for only a short distance. The distance of the elements 30 from the front face of the device is determined by the position of the tubular pins 44 within the arcuate slots 12, 14.

The device described above can be mounted to the inner face of the door frame F, adjacent the inside edge of the frame, by means of three screws passing through tubular support studs 50 which extend between the plates 4, 6 and which themselves serve to secure the plates together. The support studs 50 do not lie on a straight line to give a firmer attachment to the door frame.

The device is positioned so that the bolt B of an associated lock L carried by the door D, when shot to a locking position, engages the elements 30. For this purpose, the tubular pivot pins 44 are moved along the arcuate slots 12, 14 to pivot the levers about the pins 40, 42 until the elements 30 are located as required relative to the bolt of the lock for the levers to be pivoted by the shooting of the bolt to the extent needed for satisfactory operation. Screws are then inserted through the tubular pins 44 into the door frame thereby fixing the pivot centres of the levers 24, 26 at their chosen positions.

With the device so positioned on the door frame, on actuation of the lock on the associated door the bolt of the lock bears on the elements 30 and pivots the levers 22, 24 about the now fixed pins 44, such movement causing the bolt members 34, 36 to slide from the retracted position substantially within the casing 2 to a locking position in which they extend from the casing and across to the inner face of the door where they may be received in box staples or cleats S secured to that face of the door. The bolt members are guided in this movement by the sliding engagement between the pins 40, 42 and the slots 8, l and by co-operation between the members themselves and the slots 22. On release of the lock, the springs 46 serve to return the bolt members to their retracted positions with a corresponding return of the levers 24, 26 to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 1.

Thus there is provided an arrangement in which variation in the gap between the door and the frame, which would affect the extent of projection of the bolt of the lock on the door across the frame,-can be allowed for by adjustment, not of the fastening device as a whole, but of the positions of the levers 24, 26 only. The device can thus be mounted on the frame in a predetermined position relative to the inside edge of the frame, which has advantages in terms of ease of fitting and security, as will appear below. To try to achieve this without allowing for adjustment of the positioning of the elements 30, the presence of a larger gap between the door and the frame might reduce the effectiveness of the bolt members 34, 36 which would not be moved to a fully extended position when the door lock bolt is shot.

The location of the pivot pins 44 in relation to the bolt members 34,36 and the elements is such as to provide a movement of the bolt members greater that that of the elements 30. In this example, there is a 2:1 ratio of bolt member movement to main bolt movement. Thus, the residual movement of the lock bolt, after it has passed the gap between door and frame, is sufficient to generate the required full movement of the bolt members.

The mounting of the device to the door frame is by the driving of screws into that face of the frame that is visible when the door is closed, which facilitates the alignment of the device to the door lock longitudinally of the gap between the door and the frame. Such mounting screws could be relatively easily tampered with, however, and thus once the device is secured to the door frame there is positioned over it a cover generally indicated at 52.

This cover is in the form of a trough with closed ends but with longer faces of unequal width, the wider face projecting beyond the level of the closed ends and forming a front piece 54 containing four screw holes 56 (FIG. 3) permitting attachment of the cover to the inside edge of the frame. The front piece 54 also contains two slots 58 for the passage therethrough of the bolt members 34, 36, which they fit closely. The central portion 62 of the front piece of the cover is recessed, as shown in FIG. 5 and has formed therein a central slot 60 to receive the bolt of the lock, two screw-holes 64 and an elongate screw hole 66. The holes 64 are themselves contained in elongate recesses in the central portion 62.

The cover is positioned vertically on the door frame to enclose the door fastening device and so that the bolt members 34, 36 can pass through the slots 58 in the front piece, which can conveniently be done with the door open and the bolt members extended sufficiently to locate the cover which is then fixed in place by screws passing through the four holes 56. The main bolt of the lock is able to pass freely through the slot 60, which provides a substantial clearance for the lock bolt so that the positioning between the bolt and the cover 52 is not critical at this stage.

A striker plate 68, illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, is adapted for attachment to the cover 52 at the recessed portion 62 to provide a registering aperture for the lock bolt. The plate includes a slot 70, narrower than slot 60 of the cover, to conform with the dimensions of the boltof the lock so that when inserted through it, the bolt fits the aperture closely. Also formed in the plate are two elongate screw holes 72 each in a flanged recess 74, and a further screw hole 76. The front edge 78 of the plate 68 is bent back over as shown in FIG. 7 for cooperation with the door bolt when it is spring-latched.

After fixing the cover 52 in place, the striker plate is positioned in the recessed portion 62 of the front piece 54 by screws passed through the elongate holes 72 and the associated holes 64 in the casing, the flanges 74 in the recesses 65 surrounding the holes 64. These elongate holes 72 allow some adjustment of the position of the striker plate so that when the lock bolt is shot into the slot, the door is held in its fully closed position in the door frame, without any significant gap or play in the direction of closing movement. The lock bolt is then retracted and while the plate is retained in the same position, the door is opened and a screw is inserted through the hole 76 to fix the plate 68 in that position, the screw passing through the elongate hole 66 in the cover. The screws in the holes 64 and 72 can then be tightened down.

The above arrangement of elongate and circular screw-holes in the cover 52 and striker plate 68 is advantageous for a number of reasons. The elongate hole 66 ensures that there is no obstruction to the associated screw entering the wood of the door frame irrespective of the setting position of the striker plate on the cover. The circular, recessed holes 64 ensure that the associated screws passing through the holes 72 are inserted in a fixed position in the door frame regardless of the initial setting position of the plate 68, with the result that if an attempt is made to force open the locked door and the lock bolt is urged against face 80 of the slot 70 of the striker plate with such force that the screw in the holes 66 and 76 shears, the striker plate slides back to a position where the ends of the holes 72 in the plate come into contact with the screws through them. The dimensions of the holes 72 relative to the slot 70 is so chosen that when this position is reached, the door face will have come into contact with the adjacent faces of the auxiliary bolt members 34, 36, (some clearance is provided in normal use for troublefree operation) and the lock bolt will have also come into contact with the edge 82 of the slot 60 in the cover. Thus the pressure on the door is resisted jointly by the lock bolt and the bolt members, the forces upon which are taken by the screws through the holes 64 and 72 fixing the striker plate, the screws through the holes 56 fixing the cover 52 and the screws through the holes 44 and 50 fixing the casing 2.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A door fastening device for use in co-operation with a door lock and comprising, in combination, a casing, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means on the casing acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide between a retracted position in the casing and a projecting position, actuating means disposed between the bolt members, said actuating means comprising two levers extending respectively towards said mutually remote regions of the casing, a pivot means for each lever being disposed intermediate its length within the casing and mounting means engaging the pivot means to locate the levers on the casing in a manner permitting variation of the pivot means positions to regulate the position of said levers relative to the casing in the direction of sliding move ment of the bolt members, said levers being thereby arranged to be engaged by a bolt of said associated lock, and interconnection means connecting the levers to the bolt members at said mutually remote regions in such a manner that displacement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their projecting positions.

2. A door fastening device for use in co-operation with a door lock and comprising, in combination, a casing, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means on the casing acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide between a retracted position in the casing and a projecting position, actuating means disposed between the bolt members, mounting means for locating said actuating means on the casing and permitting the position of said actuating means to be regulated relative to the casing in the direction of sliding movement of the bolt members, said actuating means being thereby arranged to be engaged by a bolt of said associated lock, interconnection means connecting the actuating means to the bolt members in such a manner that displacement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their projecting positions, a cover enclosing the casing, a striker plate on the cover and respective overlying apertures in the striker plate and cover for the passage of the lock bolt, the aperture of said plate being smaller than the aperture of said cover, securing means fixing the striker plate on the cover permitting adjustment of said plate relative to the casing to determine the position of engagement of the lock bolt with the actuating means transverse to the plane of sliding movement of the bolt members.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the actuating means comprise two levers extending towards opposite end regions of the casing and engageable by the lock bolt, a pivot means for each lever being disposed intermediate its length within the casing and said connection means interconnecting the levers with respective bolt members at said end regions.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said mounting means engage the pivot means to permit variation of the pivot positions of the levers for said adjustment of actuating means.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the pivot means of the levers comprise apertures for the passage of members of the mounting means that thereby form fulcrums on which the levers can pivot.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said pivot means of the levers define pivot axes that are spaced further from the bolt member connections than from the regions of engagement of the levers by the door bolt.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein a pin interconnects each lever with its bolt member, a guide slot in the casing being engaged by said pin for said rectilinear movement and an elongated aperture in the lever receiving the pin so as to permit relative movement between the aperture and the pin in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the bolt member.

8. A device according to claim 2 wherein the striker plate is capable of displacement on the casing cover away from said plane of movement of the bolt members while remaining attached to the casing cover, respective edges of the overlying apertures that are those edges further from said plane of movement thereby being brought into registration with each other.

9. A door fastening device for use in co-operation with a door lock having a bolt that can be shot to extend between a member of a door frame and a door fitting an opening in said frame, the device comprising, in combination, a casing, screw means engageable with the inside face of a member of the door or frame to secure the casing to said face, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide from a retracted position to an extended operative position, actuating means disposed between the bolt members and arranged to be engaged by said bolt of said associated lock, interconnection means connecting the actuating means to the bolt member in such a manner that engagement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their extended operative positions, attaching means passing through said actuating means to secure them directly to said inside face, a cover enclosing said casing and actuating means, screw means being provided to secure the cover in position, said screw means being engageable with an edge of said member of the door or frame that is hidden when the door is closed.

10. A door fastening device according to claim 9 wherein respective receiving apertures for said bolt members and lock bolt having respective edges that are simultaneously engageable by the respective bolt members and bolt, when the door is displaced from its fully closed position with the bolt members and bolt in their extended or shot positions.

1 l. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a cover over the casing, guides on said cover for the bolt members, securing elements for fixing the cover in position on the door and extending substantially in the direction of sliding movement of said bolt members so as to be stressed in shear when forcible opening of the locked door is attempted against the resistance offered by the bolt members.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said securing elements are located on a face of the outer cover that is hidden when the door is closed. 

1. A door fastening device for use in co-operation with a door lock and comprising, in combination, a casing, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means on the casing acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide between a retracted position in the casing and a projecting position, actuating meAns disposed between the bolt members, said actuating means comprising two levers extending respectively towards said mutually remote regions of the casing, a pivot means for each lever being disposed intermediate its length within the casing and mounting means engaging the pivot means to locate the levers on the casing in a manner permitting variation of the pivot means positions to regulate the position of said levers relative to the casing in the direction of sliding movement of the bolt members, said levers being thereby arranged to be engaged by a bolt of said associated lock, and interconnection means connecting the levers to the bolt members at said mutually remote regions in such a manner that displacement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their projecting positions.
 2. A door fastening device for use in co-operation with a door lock and comprising, in combination, a casing, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means on the casing acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide between a retracted position in the casing and a projecting position, actuating means disposed between the bolt members, mounting means for locating said actuating means on the casing and permitting the position of said actuating means to be regulated relative to the casing in the direction of sliding movement of the bolt members, said actuating means being thereby arranged to be engaged by a bolt of said associated lock, interconnection means connecting the actuating means to the bolt members in such a manner that displacement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their projecting positions, a cover enclosing the casing, a striker plate on the cover and respective overlying apertures in the striker plate and cover for the passage of the lock bolt, the aperture of said plate being smaller than the aperture of said cover, securing means fixing the striker plate on the cover permitting adjustment of said plate relative to the casing to determine the position of engagement of the lock bolt with the actuating means transverse to the plane of sliding movement of the bolt members.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the actuating means comprise two levers extending towards opposite end regions of the casing and engageable by the lock bolt, a pivot means for each lever being disposed intermediate its length within the casing and said connection means interconnecting the levers with respective bolt members at said end regions.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said mounting means engage the pivot means to permit variation of the pivot positions of the levers for said adjustment of actuating means.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the pivot means of the levers comprise apertures for the passage of members of the mounting means that thereby form fulcrums on which the levers can pivot.
 6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said pivot means of the levers define pivot axes that are spaced further from the bolt member connections than from the regions of engagement of the levers by the door bolt.
 7. A device according to claim 1 wherein a pin interconnects each lever with its bolt member, a guide slot in the casing being engaged by said pin for said rectilinear movement and an elongated aperture in the lever receiving the pin so as to permit relative movement between the aperture and the pin in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the bolt member.
 8. A device according to claim 2 wherein the striker plate is capable of displacement on the casing cover away from said plane of movement of the bolt members while remaining attached to the casing cover, respective edges of the overlying apertures that are those edges further from said plane of movement thereby being brought into registration with each other.
 9. A door fasteNing device for use in co-operation with a door lock having a bolt that can be shot to extend between a member of a door frame and a door fitting an opening in said frame, the device comprising, in combination, a casing, screw means engageable with the inside face of a member of the door or frame to secure the casing to said face, bolt members mounted at mutually remote regions of the casing, guide means acting on the bolt members constraining them to slide from a retracted position to an extended operative position, actuating means disposed between the bolt members and arranged to be engaged by said bolt of said associated lock, interconnection means connecting the actuating means to the bolt member in such a manner that engagement of the actuating means by the shooting of said bolt causes said sliding movement of the bolt members from their retracted positions to their extended operative positions, attaching means passing through said actuating means to secure them directly to said inside face, a cover enclosing said casing and actuating means, screw means being provided to secure the cover in position, said screw means being engageable with an edge of said member of the door or frame that is hidden when the door is closed.
 10. A door fastening device according to claim 9 wherein respective receiving apertures for said bolt members and lock bolt having respective edges that are simultaneously engageable by the respective bolt members and bolt, when the door is displaced from its fully closed position with the bolt members and bolt in their extended or shot positions.
 11. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a cover over the casing, guides on said cover for the bolt members, securing elements for fixing the cover in position on the door and extending substantially in the direction of sliding movement of said bolt members so as to be stressed in shear when forcible opening of the locked door is attempted against the resistance offered by the bolt members.
 12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said securing elements are located on a face of the outer cover that is hidden when the door is closed. 